Eastern Astrologers

A group of Eastern Astrologers turn up at King Herod's palace in Jerusalem, with questions about the birth of the new king. "What new king?" growls Herod. He checks it out with his advisors and they quote the seven-hundred-year-old prophecy of the courier Micah:

'OK Bethlehem, I know you've got an inferiority complex. You may be a small noise in Judah, but the one who's going to run the whole of Israel will be a Bethlehemite.'

'Course Herod's worried sick, but he's too sharp to let the astrologers spot it. Instead, he makes all enthusiastic, sending them down to Bethlehem with instructions to report back where he should go to pay his dues to the future king ?

They make for Bethlehem. The star they've been tracking from the East stops; they work out the coordinates - right over where the boy is. In danger of embarrassing themselves with excitement, they arrive at the house and see the baby in his mum's arms. They kneel, awestruck by him. Once they recover from the impact, they give their presents: gold, incense and myrrh ('perfume with anaesthetic qualities' - it says on the tin).

That night one of them gets a God-dream: 'Avoid Herod like he's contagious!' They make a detour on their return trip.


The Street Bible - Rob Lacey

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